


Tales of Od Laguna

by Nyarlathotep0307



Category: Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 | Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World (Anime)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Reinhard's Life is Suffering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:34:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26642284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyarlathotep0307/pseuds/Nyarlathotep0307
Summary: Decent length One-Shots set in the Re: Zero universes, focusing on and exploring several different characters. If Web Novel/Light Novel spoilers are in a chapter, they will be noted at the beginning. Mostly Anime-Only friendly otherwise. First chapter: Reinhard
Comments: 44
Kudos: 50





	1. A Hero is All He Would Ever Be

**Author's Note:**

> Reinhard is the most misunderstood character in Re: Zero. This idea for this one-shot formed from my frustration with people calling Reinhard a one-dimensional bland character, which canon makes very clear in Arc 5 and many of the side stories is not the case in the slightest. He serves as Subaru's perfect foil and has so many parallels with him. He has a bad grasp on his humanity and lives a self-hating, lonely existence. His living family members despise him and every conversation he has with them makes their relationship even more estranged. He disdains his position as a Sword Saint and feels like he doesn't deserve it despite his power. He is also very flawed, not being able to understand the viewpoints of others despite his extremely kind nature and is a total pushover to the demands of others. He is the farthest thing from one-dimensional.
> 
> Grimm Fauzen is a character from Re: Zero EX Volume 2 & 3\. He was a comrade of Wilhelm during the Demi-Human war and serves as the caretaker of the Astrea Mansion alongside his wife Carol. He's mute due to an injury. It makes sense for him to be in this story due to it's setting in the latter half. I also just wanted to write about him as well.
> 
> Read EX 2 & 3 by the way, they're amazing.
> 
> SPOILERS: While this one-shot is relatively anime-only friendly, there are a few notable exceptions. A character named Heinkel introduced in Arc 5 is shown here, though spoilers for them besides there existence and personality are minor. The extent of Reinhard's power and how ridiculously OP he is can be considered a spoiler so I thought I would mention that as a possible spoiler as well. Grimm hasn't appeared in the main story yet and he has very little told about his past here, so you can read this without being worried about having EX 2 & 3 spoiled.
> 
> "Spoken Dialogue"
> 
> 'Sign Language'

The sun brightly shined in the sky, not a cloud in sight to block it. The grass was a beautiful verdant green, fresh dew just visible on it this early in the morning. Birds were chirping, flowers were blooming, and the world just felt serene.

His grandmother's graveyard was truly beautiful today.

Thirteen-year-old Reinhard van Astrea stood in front of the gate in front of him for a moment, a bit tentative about entering.

Did he really deserve to be here? Would she not want him to come?

After a moment more of hesitation, the young child slowly opened the gate into the quiet courtyard and walked towards one of the graves, a flower in hand.

Maybe he should just leave, surely father would get worried-

Reinhard snorted at his own thoughts with a cynicism that was unnatural for the usually cheery child.

Who was he kidding, he likely wouldn't even notice. At best, maybe one of the servants would point it out to him. He could be gone for months and the only response he would get upon returning would likely be a single grunt of acknowledgment.

Besides, he was already here.

The boy paused briefly as he stared at the grave in front of him, feelings of guilt and bitterness at the edge of his mind as he stared at the name engraved into the stone. Fresh Yellow Loosestrife flowers surrounded the faded, gray stone. Clearly, his grandfather had been here recently.

Reinhard knelt down in front of the grave.

He would hate that he was here, wouldn’t he? He would claim that he had no right to stand in front of this grave after what he had done. It didn’t matter that he loved her just as much as him. It didn’t matter that there was no way he could’ve prevented it. It didn’t matter that she likely wouldn’t blame him. The only response would be chillingly cold anger.

Reinhard cautiously placed the flower down, a Yellow Loosestrife identical to the ones adorning the grave.

He couldn’t understand that anger. He just legitimately couldn’t. 

Reinhard bowed his head solemnly.

He couldn’t understand a lot of things if he was being honest.

Why was the world around him so incomprehensible? Why must people fight? Why was everyone so scared of him? Why did his family despise him? Why was everything-

The young boy clenched his small fist.

-so fragile?

After a few moments more of silence, Reinhard let out a sigh before standing up and turning around.

“You know, I have divine protection that prevents people from sneaking up on me. I’ve known you were following me since you started four blocks ago.”

To an outside observer, it would appear that he was talking to nothing. A few moments later though, that assertion was proven wrong as a man in dark clothing silently emerged from behind a tree in front of him. He slowly drew the sword strapped to his side out of its scabbard as he looked at him.

“It’s impressive that you noticed me kid despite my best efforts, very few people have held that honor.”

Reinhard ignored the man’s statement as he stared at him passively, a frown on his face.

“It doesn’t matter how stealthy you were, I would’ve noticed you regardless. For an assassin, your information on your target seems to be quite lacking.”

As the man looked full of chagrin at his innocently brutal insult, the young boy moved his gaze to the sword, noting it’s fine craftsmanship.

“Your sword appears to be Vollachian, specifically that of a high-ranking military commander. It could just be something to mislead me, but I doubt it. Vollachia is a very hostile country and stealing from it without consequences would be difficult, not to mention that Cecilius would almost certainly find and execute you for the crime.”

The man’s expression was filled with surprise.

“You’re quite well educated, kid. You must’ve had a phenomenal instructor.”

Reinhard shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.

“Unfortunately, no. I’m entirely self-taught I’m afraid.”

The man laughed in a weirdly good-natured manner for an assassin.

“Really?! Damn, I’m sort of impressed, kid. Considering your age, I was sure you wouldn’t learn anything if you weren’t made to.”

Reinhard tilted his head innocently in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

The man shrugged his shoulders.

“You know how it is. Most boys your age just like to have fun playing hero or rough-housing or something fun. You must be quite mature for your age to be planning so far ahead.”

The young boy still looked quite bewildered but nodded anyway.

“Thank you for the compliment, sir, though I do admit that I don’t quite understand what you mean. If I played with other children, there’s a good chance they would end up dead by accident.”

The assassin let out another good-natured chuckle.

“Polite and well-educated? Killing you is becoming even more of a shame every second.”

Reinhard’s face shifted back to a grimace, his tone becoming quite monotonous.

“Sir, I must warn you that it’s a very poor idea to fight me. I cannot ensure your safety if you try to initiate combat. There is a high likelihood that I’ll accidentally kill you.”

The man snickered.

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit haughty kid? I know you’re strong, but do you seriously expect to be able to kill me? You said it yourself, the only person I could be is a high-ranking Vollachian officer. Not just anyone gets to that position.”

Reinhard’s grimace grew.

“Sir, I would very much not like to end your life. If you indicate your aggression again, I will be forced to eliminate you.”

The tone with which the boy spoke made the man’s next sentence come out with tentativeness. He grew slightly warier but still remained rather relaxed.

“You don’t even have a weapon, and there’s no one around to save you. I’ve trained for years in the blade and have killed a number of people larger than the number of days you’ve been alive. Do you honestly think you can win even when considering that information?”

The young boy’s face remained unreadable as he once again responded without a hint of emotion. His voice left no room for argument.

“Yes.”

At that moment, the air seemed to fill with sheer, raw power. A presence so overwhelmingly powerful that space itself seemed to twist and turn as the aura seeped through the air in front of the young child. Time seemed to stop for everything but the two of them the world itself seems to shake beneath their feet. 

The man shivered subconsciously and stepped back, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. 

It felt like he was being choked on the very air he breathed as if the seemingly innocent child before him was strangling him with nothing but a gaze. His aura was- it was overwhelming, all-consuming, invincible, inhuman! It seemed to be devouring everything around it indiscriminately tearing reality apart! The sheer terror he felt made him want to run away in fear screaming, disappearing to someplace where this monster could never find him! Yet, he had a feeling, that no matter how far he ran, he could never escape!

His teeth started to chatter, chills stabbing him in every part of his being. His eyes grew blurry, his body barely staying conscious. Adrenaline rushed through his blood more than it ever had before as his heartbeat in his throat at an impossible rate. Goosebumps crawled up and down his skin intermittently, the rate at which they did so seeming impossible. His body swayed a bit from dizziness and nausea, the world around him becoming harder to focus on by the second.

He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die.

As he looked at the boy, he swore for just a moment that he could see a figure in his place, a god whose very essence could not be contained in such a tiny body. Its red hair was made of the fire of damnation, flowing in waves behind it. Its body was massive and scarred, telling of countless battles and corpses it had left in its wake. Its eyes pierced his soul, telling of power even the Witch of Envy herself stood no chance against. It laughed at him cruelly for ever thinking he stood a chance.

He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die.

The man felt vomit fill his mouth as he began to be overpowered by his own fear. As he breathed in rapidly, he accidentally sucked some of the puke into his lungs and began to choke, falling to his knees and hacking his lungs out to try and save himself. 

That thing in front of him couldn’t be human. Nothing could be that powerful.

He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die.

Blackness encroached on his vision as he began to suffocate from the bile filling his lungs. His throat burned and his eyes watered as his face began to turn red.

He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. 

His meaningless life flashed before his eyes, all the problems he had faced seeming so small now in the face of an all-powerful being. What had he been thinking? Why had he even thought about doing this?

He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to d-

The presence disappeared and the man felt a sudden blow to his midsection. In just one strike, the child expelled all the vomit from his lungs and throat, the sheer strength in his tiny fist magically forcing it out while somehow not running him through. 

After a few moments of desperately catching his breath, the man finally regained enough focus to think once again. As his eyes refocused towards the ground, he realized that he was on his hands and knees, the child’s familiar pair of white shoes directly in front of him.

He began to tremble in fear, sheer terror clawing at every inch of his body.

What was going to happen to him now? This…..thing in front of him was far beyond anything he could hope to fight. He had been a fool to challenge it! He should have ignored the request! He should have run deep into Kararagi where no one would ever find him.

But he hadn’t, and now he was going to di-

“Are you ok, sir? I didn’t mean to hurt you that badly.”

The man froze at those words, before he slowly turned his head up to look at the child.

His eyes were so innocent and full of concern. He looked confused, as if he couldn’t comprehend his terror or pain, as if he had never felt such a thing in his life. Their kindness was undeniable, but they were so detached and devoid of understanding. It was a striking contrast to the eldritch horror he had just witnessed a few moments ago.

“....what are you?”

The child cocked his head cutely.

“What do you mean?”

The man’s face twisted into a rage before he let out a screech at the child.

“What are you?! What kind of monster are you?! How can you be this strong?! How can you be so naive?! How can you be so damn blessed?!”

The child frowned at his words, but he didn’t care as he continued to rant angrily.

“I was born into poverty and I’ve been training my whole life to climb out of it! I was born with no talent, but I forced myself to work hard every day to go beyond my limits! I put my life and soul every damn day so I could be a Divine General! I never stopped for a damn second so no one could look down at me ever again! This had been my chance!”

Tears began to fall from the man’s eyes as the child continued to watch on silently.

“Yet you nearly destroyed all of that work with a look! You didn’t even have to touch me to end my life! The only reason I’m alive is because you pulled me out of the abyss after having shoved me down it with a single thought! You, who likely haven’t even worked a day in your life, are infinitely beyond everything I’ve worked years to achieve!”

At the back of his mind, the man knew that this was the worst time to break down mentally, but he didn’t care! Not when the pinnacle of everything he hated stood in front of him!

“Do you think you’re some kind of hero?! Do you think you’re some kind of god?! No, all you are is a monster! You are nothing more than that!”

The child’s sudden look of pity at his words only infuriated him more.

“Why can I never catch up to people like you?! Why am I forced to stay at the bottom with all the other trash?! Why is the universe so cruel, so unfair?! WHY ARE YOU SO BLESSED?!”

The two of them stood there for what felt like hours, his heavy pants for breath filling up the silent void surrounding them. Neither moved, one simply lacking the strength and the other simply lacking the motivation. His answer seemed like it would never come.

“Because I’m not blessed at all.”

Bewilderment filled the man’s expression as the small child towered over him.

“What the fuck are you saying you spoiled piece of-”

He was interrupted with casual ease by the kid.

“Calling me spoiled would imply that I am coddled and pampered. It would imply that I face no hardship. It would imply that I have people who care about me.”

The child’s face was mournful beyond words, speaking of thousands of pent-up emotions.

“The only person who ever truly loved me is dead…...and nothing I do will bring her back, no matter how much I want her to. My mother, who had the potential to love me, sleeps and will likely never awaken. As for my father and grandfather…..their hatred of this ‘monster’ in front of you has been made oh so clear more than a few times.”

The child’s eyes that had been filled with unbelievable power now only contained sorrow and self-hatred.

“I live in a world of eggshells, everything is so fragile and will be shattered to pieces with the slightest touch. Other countries despise me for being the perfect weapon that can be unleashed at any time, while my own country sees me as nothing more than a safeguard. Children aren’t allowed to play with me, as one wrong move would leave nothing but a blood splatter behind. People are afraid to even talk to me, afraid that even the slightest movement I make won’t even leave enough for a funeral behind.”

The child looked down at the vomit below the man.

“I don’t remember the last time someone showed me affection. I don’t remember the last time someone truly cared about what happened to me. I don’t remember the last time someone told me that everything was going to be alright, that I did nothing wrong. I don’t even remember what a hug feels like.”

His grimace grew tighter.

“I’m a hero and a monster, a monster that slays other monsters. I’m a hero who will rise up to save the world regardless of if I deserve the title or not. I’m a monstrous hero who will never die, who exists only to end the lives of others. That’s something I accepted a long time ago, and nothing will ever change that.”

The child clutched his shirt, holding onto it with an amount of force that should’ve torn it apart.

“I want to feel and think and interact with people, not having to worry about accidentally breaking them. I want my family to love me, to want me around. I want people to see me as something other than the sword saint, the invincible hero that isn’t allowed to even leave his own country. I want to visit Gusteko to meet the Great Spirit Odglass, I want to go to Kararagi in order to experience their famous festivals, and I want to learn how to ride dragons in Vollachia. I want to be able to leave and see the world without making everyone my enemy.”

Reinhard was now trembling, the only sign of weakness he ever allowed himself to show.

“I don’t want to be a hero or a monster, I just want to be human.”

Reinhard's voice squeaked as he calmed himself down.

“But....I'm not."

After a few moments of silence, he continued on.

“It’s ironic, isn’t it? You were sent to kill me yet you showed me more warmth than anyone else has in my short, pathetic life……”

Reinhard suddenly closed his eyes.

“....no, that’s not true. She showed me that kindness, she showed me that warmth. Yet, because of me......she’s gone......and she’s never coming back.”

Reinhard opened his eyes to look at the man one again.

“Do you understand, sir-”

The man's sword rushed forward in a burst of supersonic speed, trying to end the fight that hadn’t even begun in one strike. Shockwaves emanated through the courtyard as he moved in for the kill faster than any human should’ve been able to react. A blade that could slice through even the thickest of armor flew forward towards the child’s heart.

Then the man realized something. He was dead.

It took him a moment to process this thought as he looked down and saw his own blade lodged in his chest. His eyes traced down it to the child’s hand around the hilt, his own empty hands confirming that Reinhard had taken it from him before he even processed it. In the time it took for him to think the boy had avoided his blow, stolen his sword, and sliced him to shreds before running him through on his own blade. 

He hadn’t even seen the kid move. It was like the world itself had suddenly and unfairly bent reality to be in the kid’s favor. It was impossible for Reinhard to have killed him. Yet, based on the blood covering the child’s face and the various slash marks that covered his chest, as well as the blood now filling his lungs and, it was clear that the child himself had obliterated him like nothing.

The man fell further onto the blade, his body growing limper and limper as gravity began to take hold. The struggle to stay alive grew more hopeless by the minute, his mind already losing the motivation to fight. Despite the, he turned his head to look into the kid’s eyes one last time.

A small amount of shock filled him as his eyes registered the child.

The teary and red orbs were filled with regret and sorrow. They apologized to him from the bottom of the boy’s heart. He had seen those same eyes before, many times in fact. They were the eyes every new recruit had after their first battle.

Choking on his own blood, the man began to laugh, his wavering and raspy voice barely audible.

“S-so…..I’m y-y-your- fir-first-”

He hacked up a glob of blood, the liquid landing on the child’s cheek.

“-k-kill the-n.”

He was now fully impaled, his body only staying up due to the strength of the kid beneath him. Reinhard did not so much as move as the dying man leaned against him.

“B-eing the firs-t ki-kill of some-thing lik-ke y-you……..”

Reinhard felt liquid land on his coat, the garment being peppered by wet droplets of tears that had mixed with the man’s blood. Comfortingly, he wrapped a tiny arm around his attempted assassin's torso.

“.......at le-least that’s som-something to b-b-b-be pr-proud of…..”

And with that, the nameless assassin, a man Reinhard had not even gotten the chance to honor, passed away.

After holding the man for a few more moments, the child sighed and with a great degree of care, laid him on the ground beside him. He dusted himself off almost immediately, wiping the blood off his face with the collar of his shirt. He wiped his shoes on the grass, getting as much vomit as possible off of them. After a moment more of grooming his body, he turned his gaze back to the deceased assassin at his side.

“You already knew you didn’t stand a chance. I crushed your will and nearly killed you without lifting a finger, so why would you still try anyway? I really would’ve let you go without pursuing, all you needed to do was leave. I don’t understand.”

Reinhard trembled for a moment as he received no answer.

“I wanted to let you live! I don’t care that you tried to kill me, I just didn’t want to hurt you! I never wanted to hurt anyone, yet all I can do is inflict torment! Why?! Why couldn’t you just run away?!”

Of course, the corpse didn’t respond back, not even Reinhard having the power to revive the dead. His question would simply go unanswered.

With a sigh and a quick look at the sky, the child confirmed that he had enough time to do what he needed to do.

“I’m going to give you a proper burial. I’m sorry that a useless hero like me is unable to provide you a better send-off.”

Reinhard began to look around the courtyard, trying to find a place to start digging a hole. As he found one though, a slight frown formed on his face before he turned to look at the body one more time.

“By the way, as rude as it is for me to say, you were mistaken about one thing. You aren’t the first person I killed.”

He moved his gaze over to the gravestone covered in flowers, reading the name one more time.

Theresia van Astrea.

“I’m sorry that I was born.”

With a heavy heart and renewed sense of guilt, Reinhard moved towards an empty spot in the courtyard and began to dig a hole with his hands.

*****

He arrived back home late, no one was there to greet him. The mansion was as silent as it always was.

Reinhard glanced down in dejection, hurt but not surprised.

What was he expecting? He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up.

Silently, he moved through the mansion at a slow and deliberate pace, moving to his room so he could put on a new outfit before he visited the last place he wanted to visit before going to bed. His mother’s room.

Curiously though, upon his arrival at her door after having put on a new change of clothes, he found the door open. Sobs of despair came from the slightly ajar door, the sound being all too familiar to him 

Ah, so father was here too. That was odd, he rarely came up to this room anymore. He should give him at least a few more minutes to himself then.

Reinhard stood outside of the doorway, simply standing in place passively as his father’s muffled cries grew louder and louder.

“Come back to me Louanna! I just want you to hold me again! Please, wake up!”

Reinhard stared at the wall opposite of him, his face not revealing a single emotion he felt.

It seemed father still didn’t understand. Mother was never waking up, and nothing anyone did would ever change that. He needed to realize that and move on already.

The boy admonished himself, trying to make the claim that he should understand how his father would likely never move past her completely. His mother had meant everything to him.

The problem was that he couldn’t understand it.

He had moved on a long time ago. He barely knew his mother at all, as she had fallen into a coma when he was no older than two. She never ate, never drank, never did anything but sleep, but somehow she was still alive. He hadn’t ever really gotten the chance to know her, so he didn’t really have anything to grieve for.

Why couldn’t father just do what he did? It had been simple enough for him, so why couldn’t a man far more experienced in life’s miseries accept it? He wanted to understand how he felt…..but he just couldn’t. He wasn’t sure if he ever would.

Deciding that he had waited long enough, Reinhard silently opened the door and walked into the room. His movements made no sound and his presence all but disappeared, so his father didn’t notice him until he was standing by his mother, looking down at his face. On the other side of the bed, an alcohol bottle in hand and tears streaming down his now enraged face, his father stared at him with pure malice.

“What are you doing here, boy?!”

Reinhard ignored him, slowly reaching out to touch his mother softly, his mind too distracted to process his mother’s words.

As he brushed her hair behind her ear, he considered how she would feel about him if she were to awake. Would she love him unconditionally, the feeling that had been so lacking in his life since grandma died? Would she hate him just like his father for being the monster he was? Would she leave both of them behind, choosing to do something else with her life?

He didn’t know, and something about that scared him. 

“DON’T TOUCH HER!”

Reinhard glanced at his father, his face now curious.

“Why are you so upset? It’s not like she can even feel it.”

His father paused, pain etching even deeper onto his face.

“SHUT UP!”

The boy tilted his head.

“Oh, did I upset you? I apologize, I didn't mean to do so.”

Father growled, his face displaying all the spite and hatred he felt for his son.

“That’s because you don’t understand anything you little monster, do you?! How could an inhuman thing like you understand what normal people go through, eh?! Maybe you should just go and die to remove one more thing from this world that shouldn’t exist!”

He usually wasn’t this aggressively open about his spite. Perhaps he was drunk? It would make sense considering the bottle.

“If I died, I would just revive myself back from the dead again. You know that already.”

His father took another swig of alcohol, before responding once again in a slightly more slurred voice.

“Then find a way to die permanently, I don’t care! Just leave me alone and go away! You ruined her you little monster, just like you killed mom!”

Reinhard’s face remained passive.

“While I accept responsibility for grandma’s death, I had nothing to do with mother's coma.”

Father cackled cruelly as he took another swig.

“Say whatever you want kid, but it won’t change the fact that all the fucked up shit that has occurred to me is entirely on you! Maybe you didn’t directly do it, but your monstrous existence probably caused it in one way or another! It’s all been downhill for me with the guards ever since that day we trained as well! I’m a laughingstock because of you!”

The boy responded, his voice still very cool. 

“You lost to the most powerful child in this world, there’s nothing shameful about tha-”

The glare his father gave him silenced him immediately.

“A child? A CHILD?! You aren’t even human you little shit! Don’t you dare compare something as terrible as you to humanity! And you call that losing?! I nearly died!”

He tried to protest-

“I’m a human-”

-only to be cut down once again.

“No you aren’t, you’re just a monster masquerading as one! You ruined my life! Father hates me, Louanna is comatose, I’m a joke, and my mother is dead! Stop torturing me! Leave me alone! Go off and die in a hole already! It’s not like anyone will care that you’re gone anyway!”

Reinhard trembled and felt a single tear start to form in his eye before he turned around, hiding the emotion he could no longer hold off his face. After taking a moment to gather himself, he spoke up as quietly as possible in a neutral voice.

“My life is not my own to give, but I’ll leave now and give you some time alone. I apologize for bothering you.”

Somehow, father seemed even angrier than before at his words.

“Don’t walk away from me you little punk!”

The child did not bother gracing him with a response. Even when his father threw a bottle of alcohol at him that passed right over him due to his divine protections, he still did not so much as flinch.

Desperate to provoke a reaction, his father leaped over the bed and tried to wrap his hands around his son’s neck.

“I said don't walk awa-"

Reinhard noticed a blur pass by him just before his father’s voice cut off. Turning around, he was shocked to see a man in a butler’s outfit with white hair and a beard holding his father up by the neck. 

For a moment he got his hopes up. For just one second, he thought that his grandfather had come to his aid even if it wasn’t necessary.

It was only for a moment though.

The man holding his father by the neck was Grimm, the caretaker of the mansion he and father lived in. He looked quite similar to his grandfather, but his height was too short and his muscles were too withered to be Wilhelm.

“Stop.”

The noise was barely audible, almost impossible to make out, sounding more like just a raspy noise than a word. Reinhard was shocked to make it out at all, considering he was sure that the old man couldn’t speak.

His desperately struggling father glared with hatred at Grimm, the later not batting an eyelash at the malice being shown to him. With no grace or care, Grimm tossed Heinkel aside, similar to how one would discard a piece of trash. His eyes were cold and merciless as he did so. He made motions in the air with his hand. Reinhard, quickly recognizing it as sign language due to his studies, spoke it aloud for his father to understand.

"You live here only because your father doesn't care enough to kick you out. If you try to injure your son again, I will be well within my rights to have you vacate the premises."

Heinkel glared up at Grimm, murder in his light blue eyes.

“Why would you care about what happens to that little monster? Is Carol not satisfying all your needs, old man?”

Grimm’s eyes narrowed even further, and rage twisted his expression as he made more motions with his hands.

"Accuse me of such things again, and a house won’t be the only thing you lose. Your father would be ashamed of the man you are."

Heinkel barked with laughter.

“He already despises me, so what if I disappoint him even more? I don’t care about his opinion anymore!”

Grimm let out a small growl before signing one last sentence.

"Am I clear?"

The middle-aged father snorted.

“Crystal, you old cripple.”

Grimm gave him one last disgusted look before turning around and ushering Reinhard out of the room. Without taking a single moment to talk about what just happened, Grimm dragged the boy behind him with gentle firmness. Neither made a single sound until they already stood in front of the door to Reinhard’s room, at which point, Grimm turned to Reinhard and gave him a command in sign language.

‘Tell me if he ever tries that again.’

The young child glanced up at the butler curiously.

“Why?”

Grimm recoiled slightly in befuddled confusion at the question, before he made more movements with his hand, Reinhard being able to keep up surprisingly well despite just recently learning the language.

‘What do you mean why?! It’s not right for any father to treat their child like that!’

Reinhard continued to give him a peculiar and unidentifiable gaze.

“He couldn’t harm me even if he tried. I could kill him without even having to give it a second thought. I have all the power in that situation.”

Grimm’s frown grew more worried.

‘That may be true, but that does not change the intent. He intended to hurt you physically, and even if he couldn’t have succeeded, the intent alone was a crime. You're an innocent child, you don’t deserve that kind of treatment.’

The young boy still did not look like he understood.

“He can’t hurt me. I don’t care if he tries. Even if he somehow did kill me, I would just come back. My life isn’t all that valuable.”

Immense discomfort filled the butler’s face as he tried to protest.

‘Don’t think like that! Your life is very valuable! That’s not even mentioning the anguish you would go through! That isn’t a healthy way to think-’

Reinhard shrugged and interrupted his movements.

“I don’t particularly care.”

Grimm paused, this situation leaving the mute man speechless. The boy continued though, ignoring him.

“My father is a good man at heart, under all his spite and malice. I do not wish to ruin it even further.”

The silence that followed was deafening. 

“....Reinhard.”

The boy nodded his head, surprised to hear him speak once again in his raspy voice.

“Yes?”

Grimm wrapped an arm around the boy, the latter stiffening in surprise. He was completely still as the muscular body of his butler held him tightly.

Wh-what? What was he- Why-

Reinhard was still, his body trembling in fear.

He wanted to melt into the hug. It was so warm and comfortable. When was the last time someone hugged him? When was the last time he felt so…..happy?

Nonetheless, he pushed Grimm off him gently, the strength difference between the two of them clear even when Reinhard was attempting to be as easy on him as possible. The wizened butler signed him one last statement, a gentle smile on his face.

‘You didn’t do anything wrong. Your father’s mistakes are not on your shoulders.’

……..he couldn’t accept that.

“Stop.”

Grimm scowled and tried to protest, only to be interrupted again.

"His suffering is due to me. I destroyed his life just through existing. As his tormentor, I have the responsibility to help him heal.”

Reinhard continued on, ignoring Grimm as he furiously tried to protest.

“I don’t care what you think, I know I’m right. I’m not human, but I’m going to play the role of the hero to atone for being born. If that means I need to give my life to this kingdom over and over again for the rest of eternity, I’m prepared to do so.”

Grimm made one last attempt to get him to listen.

‘There’s nothing wrong with you-’

For the briefest of moments, Reinhard released his aura, instantly stopping the aged butler in his tracks. Throwing Grimm one last pointed look, the boy turned around and opened the door to his room. 

“I need your help with hiding something, so please make sure to get up early tomorrow.”

The boy took one step inside the doorframe, before pausing to say one more thing.

“....thanks for the hug. I appreciate you showing kindness to a thing like me.”

Not giving Grimm a chance to respond, the boy walked into his room and closed the door, making sure to audibly lock the door behind him.

He walked across his plain room, no toys or games to play with. His walls were white, a desk covered in books was in the corner and an abnormally plain bed for a noble sat against the wall.

He paid no attention to any of it though as he walked towards his bed, only pausing as he let one object catch his eye.

It was the only decoration in his room, a small sword designed for children to train with. It was almost laughably small, with a blade so dull that one could almost say it was more akin to a metal club than anything else. It was plain beyond compare and anyone who saw it would wonder why someone like him would display a piece of garbage so proudly.

To Reinhard though, it was the most amazing thing in the world. After all, it was the only gift he had ever received from his father when he wasn’t any older than five. It meant more to him than words could describe, even if he himself did not know why.

It was something he had stared at a million times before though, so he didn’t gaze at it for too long before laying his back down on the bed, deciding to sleep in his clothes so he wouldn’t have to get dressed in the morning.

He allowed thoughts to wander back onto the day’s events, conflicting and incomprehensible emotions bubbling beneath the surface. After only a few minutes though, he tired of angsting over the day’s events wanting to simply sleep.

Today hadn’t been anything to worry about though. It was only slightly worse than average to him and was thus unimportant. Nothing that had happened was worth considering any further.

Despite his thoughts though, one last time before he closed his eyes, he thought back to the mangled body he had buried only a few miles away. With next to no effort, he had obliterated a man into a broken down corpse that barely held together. His power had ended him in an instant, the second person he had ever caused the death of dying afraid, humiliated, and in pain. 

He was truly a fiend, one who only became a hero for the sake of others. He didn’t need to worry about becoming a monster like most other children destined to become champions, he was already one. He would give his life over and over to save others; he would be the hero his people needed, no matter how much he suffered and how young he may be. He had a responsibility, one he would see through to the end. Even if he wanted to be human, he would become a hero.

In the end though…..

Reinhard closed his eyes, letting his consciousness slowly fade away.

…….a hero is all he would ever be.


	2. Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a very short little Julius one-shot that popped into my head. 
> 
> SPOILERS: One plot point from Arc 6 is spoiled, and several characters who have been mentioned in the anime yet have not shown up are also directly referenced. Tried to keep it vague enough that Anime-onlies can read it with only being spoiled on one plot point from Arc 6. If you don't care, you can continue reading, and if not, you can stop here.

“Nice to meet you!”

Julius stared at the outstretched hand, his mind unable to comprehend what was happening.

Wh-what was happen-happening? This ha-had to be a joke, right? A very poor one, b-but it had to be, r-right?

But as he looked into his friend's eyes, his fears were confirmed. No recognition was in them, they held no recollection of who he was. 

His friend cocked his head, confused at his lack of response, his face growing distinctly uncomfortable as he continued to leave his hand out. He should probably take it, he should probably shake his hand to ensure a good first impression.

How could he though? How could he act so calm when the last thing he had, the last connection he possessed, was severed so cruelly.

Anastasi-, no, Eridna spoke up beside him, responding to his friend for him. She told him placating comforts and assurances, but Julius didn’t hear a single one.

Why did the world hate him? What had he done to deserve this? Why couldn’t he keep this one thing?

Julius trembled, on the verge of collapsing to the floor.

What more did it want from him?! Everything had been taken from him! His name, his relationships, his brother, his honor, his master, and even his existence had all been stolen from him just like that! Why?! Why did the world despise him so badly?!

His friend turned away and began to chat with Beatrice and Emilia, the same recognition gone for them as well.

Was this his true punishment for challenging the ‘Stick Swinger’ alone?! Did that damned one-eyed monster steal even this from him?!

Julius gelt his spirits start to get antsy, all of them starting to form as his anger took root. He clenched his fists, his white gloves being dyed a light shade of crimson from his blood.

He was going to kill him, trials be damned! He didn’t care if he had to die to do it, he would rip that bastard's heart out and feed it to him! How dare he?! HOW DARE HE?!

Julius whirled around, murder in his eyes and rage in his heart to challenge the trial once again, only to be stopped by Anasta- Eridna. 

“Stop.”

The knight among knights growled, towering over the tiny woman in front of him.

“You aren’t the master I pledged loyalty to and I have no reason to listen to you. Get out of my way.”

An- Eridna held firm, however, her tiny form not budging an inch.

“Reid didn’t do this Julius, there’s no point in challenging him again. You’re only going to get yourself hurt even more.”

Julius sneered, acting completely different from the normally composed and noble knight he was known as.

“You don’t know that! None of us know that! How can we be sure that horrid piece of garbage didn’t just do this out of spite?! He’s an utterly perverted, sadistic coward after all! All he wants to do is see me suffer! I’m going to kill him!”

The young knight grit his teeth, growling under his breath.

“That’s right, I just need to kill him. If I do that, everything will be alright again! Not just Reid, but Roy and Ley too! I’ll do it myself if I have to! I don’t care if I have to die to do i-”

Eridna slapped him across the face with her dainty hand, stunning him into silence. He had barely felt it, honestly, Eridna was probably hurt more than him by that slap, but the shock alone struck him silent.

Slowly turning to look back into her purple eyes, he was surprised to see her slightly tearing up.

“Don’t you dare say something like that! Do you have any idea how undeniably selfish you sound?!”

Julius’ mouth was left slightly agape, his countenance clearly betraying how startled he was as Eridna continued.

“We came here to save our allies, not lose more! All of us are terrified out of our minds, but we’re keeping it together! All of us have issues, all of us have problems! Get ahold of yourself and think, if not for your sake at least do so for everyone else’s sake!”

The young knight's lips moved, but no noise came out, still somewhat astonished at Eridna’s unending rant.

“A valuable member of our team just got his mind wiped of us and everything he’s done up to this point! The last thing we need is for you to go out and play hero trying to kill an enemy you don’t stand a chance against!”

Eridna jabbed a finger in his face.

“So for the last time, pull yourself together!”

Julius was silent for a moment, processing the spirit’s words.

“...you’re right, I’m sorry.”

Thinking clearly now….his earlier conclusion about it being Reid now seemed ridiculous. That monster literally couldn't care less about them. The thought that he would just do this mess with him asinine.

Julius turned his eyes to his friend, who was now poorly flirting with his distinctly uncomfortable master.

Even if it wasn’t Reid though, it didn’t change his feelings on this matter….

_His friend looked him in the eye, his face filled with determination._

_“Don’t forget Julius! My eyes and shame know your strength!”_

_A slight smile crossed his face._

_“No matter who else forgets, that will always be true.”_

A sad smirk formed on Julius’ face.

“It seems you really are bad at keeping your promises…... Natsuki Subaru.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might release one more of these before I release the next chapter for MNIS and Deadman's Party. Probably going to focus on Regulus and Ley.


	3. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler List: This particular one-shot contains (technical) spoilers for "Sword Demon's Battle Ballad", a side story focusing on Wilhelm, Carol, Grimm, and Roswaal J. Mathers (also known as Julia). Other than that, this one is rather spoiler-free.
> 
> Roswaal L. Mathers and Wilhelm's dynamic is an untapped gold mine of potential, and I just felt like writing about it. The two of them are in my top 10 favorite Re: Zero characters, and the fact that they have not met yet is a damn shame.
> 
> For those of you who know the big end of Arc 4 twist with Roswaal.....I purposely wrote this so those who know it can catch onto the double meanings of Roswaal's lines while those who haven't read Arc 4 can read this story as-is with no problem. As a result, please be as vague as possible in the comments/reviews if you want to reference the twist, so as not to spoil anyone who has not read Arc 4.
> 
> It has always been my head-canon that Roswaal L. Mathers is actually Wilhelm's godson. Considering how few friends Roswaal Karl Mathers (better known as Karl) had and how close him and Wilhelm supposedly became, it just kind of makes sense in my opinion.
> 
> For Roswaal's exaggerated syllables, I use ~ symbol like most translations of the Re: Zero novels do. Just thought I should note that.
> 
> As a side note, this takes place 6 months post-Arc 4.

“Do you mi~nd if I sit here?”

The infamous Sword Demon, Wilhelm Van Astaea, cracked an eye open, surprised at being interrupted in the middle of his break by an unfamiliar voice. As he looked up at the person who had just spoken to him though, his eyes widened in recognition.

The man in front of Wilhelm was tall, taller even than himself, with a fairly large amount of muscle bulging from his body. A flamboyant, purple outfit covered his body and extravagant clown make-up was lovingly painted onto his face. His heterochromatic eyes had a harsh quality to them, but not one that was completely uninviting. A familiar pair of black gloves were on his hands. Despite his rather odd appearance, it would be quite easy to consider him handsome.

“Roswaal L. Mathers?!”

A self-assured smirk crossed the clown’s face.

“In the fle~sh!”

Despite his hesitation, the Sword Demon felt a tentative smile creep onto his face before scooting over, leaving an empty spot for the younger man.

“Go ahead, as long as you don’t mind sitting next to an old man like me.”

The clown let out an uncharacteristically playful chuckle before sitting down next to Wilhelm, a smirk still on his face. After taking a moment to sit in a more comfortable position, Roswaal turned to look at the older man with his piercing eyes.

“I don’t believe I’ve properly met you fa~ce-to-fa~ce before, but I feel like neither of us truly needs to introduce ourselves to each other. Who doesn’t know about the infamous Sword Demo~n after all?”

The older man laughed at his ancient title.

“I haven’t had a reason to be called that in a long time. Please just call me Wilhelm, Lord Mathers.”

The clown waved him off.

“There’s no need for such forma~lities, please just call me Roswaal.”

The Sword Demon lightly bowed his head.

“It is an honor to be able to talk with you so casually L-, I mean, Roswaal.”

It was amazing, this was their first formal meeting yet the margrave was already talking to him like they’d known each other for ages. It reminded him so much of Julia, though this was an odd location to have their first meeting-

Wilhelm straightened back up at the thought, suddenly a bit more serious.

“Though, I must wonder why you’re here in my lady’s garden of all places. Don’t you have other duties for the kingdom or Lady Emilia that you need to attend to?”

The clown remained casual as he responded.

“I sure do, but Lady Emilia~ needed a few people to look after Su~baru while he re-discussed the terms of the alliance with Lady Crusch and Sir Fe~lix.”

Wilhelm perked up.

“Sir Subaru is here?”

Roswaal nodded.

“Yes. He never got to finish those discu~ssions about alliances with Lady Crusch, and Sir Fe~lix requested that I be available next time for questio~ns. The meeting is over alre~ady, so I decided to come out here while Ram, Su~baru, and Beatrice smooth out the specifics.”

A slightly sinister smile crossed the clown’s face.

“Of cou~rse, I would’ve come anyway to ensure their safety. After all, I’m sure you reme~mber what Sir Fe~lix attempted last time we left him in your care.”

Wilhelm’s face turned red with embarrassment and shame at his words.

“I apologize for Felix’s actions, he was very far out of line. I hope you can forgive him for what he’s done. If you want to punish anyone for his actions, please do so to me for-”

Roswaal raised up his hand, silencing his sudden pleading.

“Don’t worry, I have zero~ intention of harming the boy as long as he doesn’t try it again. I would not want to harm a student of my gra~ndfather after all.”

The Sword Demon gave him a grateful look.

“You are too kind Lord-, I mean, Roswaal. The boy has had a bit of a malicious streak ever since Lord Fabless and Prince Fourier passed away. I fear every day the things he may do if I’m not watching him.”

The clown flinched for an unknown reason but quickly regained his composure.

“Once again, it’s no~ problem. He deserves a chance to impro~ve at the very least.”

A far more serious look flashed across the clown’s face.

“Don’t take my words of kindness as weakness, ho~wever. If he were to try something like that again though-”

The Sword Demon shuddered as four small balls of energy formed in Roswaal’s hand, shaking the very earth around them with his power. The sheer power radiating off of the clown reminded him then and there that the person beside him was the single most powerful mage in the kingdom, one who very much wasn't afraid to deal with things himself.

“-I will ensure that he will give me my dues with his life.”

Before Wilhelm could respond, however, Roswaal dissipated the spell and reverted back to his normal, jovial attitude.

“Thankfully, that shouldn’t be ne~cessary! After all, with both you and Lady Crusch around, I’m sure it won’t be too di~fficult to deal with him if he acts out of line.”

Wilhelm forced a strained grin onto his face, his nervous tension quite obvious.

“Th-thank you for being so kind.”

Roswaal patted his shoulder before speaking in a teasing tone.

“I already said that it was no~ problem. My withered, old go~dfather shouldn’t be so tense about this situation.”

The Sword Demon winced at his words before glancing away.

“Yeah, I shouldn’t…..”

The clown tilted his head at Wilhelm’s reaction.

“Come no~w, you have no reason to feel guilty.”

The aged butler head flew around to look at him in surprise.

“What?”

Roswaal chuckled at his reaction.

“There’s no need to act so su~rprised. It’s quite obvious that you’re fo~olishly harboring guilt over that incident. You weren’t the o~ne who tried to brainwash someone after all.”

Wilhelm shook his head.

“I know that already, but…..that’s not what upset me.”

The clown’s cunning smirk widened just barely.

“Ah, so you don’t like me calling you my go~dfather then? Good to know for future reference.”

The Sword Demon managed to keep the shock off his face as Roswaal almost effortlessly read him like a book.

“I-it’s not that I don’t like being called your godfather, in fact, it feels quite nice, it’s just…..”

Wilhelm’s frown deepened as the legendary warrior who often seemed just as large and powerful as he had been in his prime almost seemed to age twenty years before Roswaal’s eyes.

“...I’m not really sure I deserve to be given such an affectionate title.”

The clown’s grin didn’t so much as twitch as he raised an eyebrow at his words.

“Why wou~ld you feel like that?”

The Sword Demon hesitated briefly.

“I-”

Roswaal applied a bit more pressure.

“Come on, I won’t ju~dge you. Feel free to tell me your thoughts.”

It was astounding how silver-tongued the man sitting next to him was, every word and inflection seemingly tailor-made to squeeze his thoughts out of him. Wilhelm was starting to get the impression that his manipulation skills surpassed his two predecessors.

“I…I’m just sorry I wasn’t there to assist you after Karl died.”

An unknown emotion briefly broke through the clown’s facade as the Sword Demon continued to talk, before quickly being covered up.

“When he died I was….not in the best place already. Theresia had just died, I had fallen out with my son, and I said some awful things to my grandson. I was angry, full of hatred I just wanted to unleash on that damn whale, and I lost sight of so many things. So, so many things………”

Wilhelm's hands clenched his pants.

“I should’ve been there to help you. After Julia died, I promised myself that I would help Karl as much as I could. Yet….I was so pathetic that I couldn’t even be there for his son. I don’t deserve such kindness from you-”

Roswaal flicked the older man on the nose, causing the latter to let out a noise of surprise. Trying quickly to regain his composure, Wilhelm gave the innocently smiling clown a puzzled look.

“Why did you just-”

The margrave let out a small burst of laughter.

“So~rry, you were just being so se~rious there for a moment that I couldn’t help myself. You truly are so hopeless.”

The clown shook his head in faux exasperation.

“There’s nothing wrong with prio~ritizing yourself and your goals over others, it’s just basic hu~man nature. Besides, I didn’t need you to be there for me~. As you can see, I turned out perfectly fine.”

Roswaal’s heterochromatic eyes turned towards Wilhelm, the irises within them seeming to glow with ethereal power.

The Sword Demon immediately objected.

“But I still should’ve been available! I should’ve let you know that I would be there-”

A sigh escaped the clown’s lips, silencing him.

“Please sto~p being the noble hero for a moment and listen to me. I neither nee~ded nor wanted your help. Stop regretting not offering me something I would’ve reje~cted anyways.”

“But-”

At his attempted interjection, the clown’s eye twitched as he mumbled under his breath.

“Age really has taught you nothing….very well, I know the type of person you are.”

Confused, Wilhelm opened his mouth to inquire about what he meant, only to stop as Roswaal stood up and turned to face him.

“Will I inflicting pain onto you make you feel better, you self-sa~crificing, pathetic excuse for a ma~n?”

The Sword Demon was tentative for a moment.

“....I-”

A cruel smirk split the margrave’s face.

“Ah, I see then. It seems like all you can do in your old age is diso~wn a five-year-old who did nothing wro~ng.”

Wilhelm recoiled slightly at the sudden insult.

“L-lord Mathers?”

A condescending sneer broke out across Roswaal’s face as he loomed over the legendary hero in front of him.

“You’re the man my grandmo~ther considered one of the most interesting people in Lugunica?! You’re one of the few people she wo~uld’ve sacrificed her life for?! Man, she really must have been senile to see a deadbeat like you as anything beyond a pathetic little whe~lp!”

The Sword Demon knew he was getting played but that didn’t stop him from standing up and forcing the margrave to take a step back and give him space.

“You can insult me all you want, but you will not insult Julia like that! She was one of the greatest women I ever knew, and I will not let anyone disgrace a dear friend's name in my presence!”

Roswaal cackled as if what he had just said was the funniest thing he had ever heard.

“Seriously, one of the greatest women you ever kne~w?! A whore like her?! All she did was perish to a mere assa~ssin for some wench! I’m glad I never had to meet someone as simple and idiotic as he~r!”

Wilhelm’s eyes hardened to stone, his body subtly beginning to tremble with rage at the clown’s words.

“Quit while you’re ahead. I can’t force you to take those words back, and it may be improper of me, but I will retaliate if you continue to disrespect Lady Julia.”

His words did nothing but cause the margrave to smirk.

“Oh, and how are you going to acco~mplish that. You may think you’re some powerful hero of justice, but all you are is the man who beat and married a pathe~tic crybaby of a Sword Saint who let thousands die out of her own selfish desire to cower away from a war she could've ended-”

The sound of metal screeching through the air rang out as Wilhelm unsheathed his sword and slashed Roswaal in one fluid motion, the metal moving faster than sound itself-

The Sword Demon’s eyes widened in surprise as the margrave almost instantly held out his hand and caught the blade with almost casual ease, his strike merely halting against the clown’s gloved hands. It was as if his blade had slammed into the Divine Dragon itself, all momentum ceasing the millisecond it made contact with Roswaal.

With heterochromatic eyes that seemed to look right through him and an expression that looked infuriatingly bored, the margrave simply stared down at his blade.

“Really? Is that a~ll you can do? I wasn’t expecting much, yet I still feel le~t down.”

Not even bothering to respond, Wilhelm immediately pulled his sword back and made a feint towards Roswaal’s right side, only to suddenly burst out into near-incomprehensible speeds as he circled behind the clown and-

Once again, his blade was stopped, the margrave seeming lackadaisical and languid despite the insane speeds at which he was reacting.

“Attacking from be~hind? What a lack of chivalry from a knight of the kingdom! Seriously, what i~diot even let you make it past the first stage of training?!”

Wilhelm once again ignored him, circling the Mathers lord again and lashing out once more. The world around him seemed completely frozen as the mana in his body enhanced him far beyond his normal speed and strength.

Yet, for the third time, his strike was halted almost casually by Roswaal.

With a growl that almost sounded feral, the Sword Demon all but flew around Roswaal, attempting strike after strike to cut the man down. His blade screeched through the air and shockwaves shattered the window of the mansion behind him as he lashed out with a flurry of blows against his opponent. His speed far exceeded anything expected out of even the strongest knights in Lugunica, his body being almost incomprehensible from an outsider's perspective.

Every time though, his blade met Roswaal’s gloved hand, halting against it as if it were a toy sword. Insultingly, the clown didn’t even seem to be worried, his eyes focused elsewhere as he stopped every stroke dead in its tracks.

After a few moments of this, the margrave let out a soft sigh.

“I tire of this.”

In a movement so quick that Wilhelm couldn’t even track it with his eyes, Roswaal’s fist slammed into the former's chest, the sound of the Sword Demon’s bones fracturing ringing out through the air.

Wilhelm backed off immediately, staring at the clown as he stood with his fist held out, his arm still extended into the air in such a way that caused the former to pause.

Julia had shown him that exact same punch several times before when trying to teach him martial arts. He had written it off as something useless until he watched the explosive power of her blows send heads flying off of bodies. She had often used her shoulders, elbows, and knees as well when using...what had she called it again…..Bajiquan?

The margrave’s cocky sneer remained plastered on his face.

“What, did you assume that just because I’m a ma~ge, I was weak in a physical fight? How nai~ve of you!”

Before Wilhelm could retort, Roswaal was already upon him, immediately forcing him to be defensive.

It was insane. Every blow Roswaal threw was like a miniature explosion, leaving cracks in the ground from the sheer impact and causing his sword to groan under the pressure. Every strike he took was precise and nigh-instant, the Sword Demon barely being able to block. He seemed utterly invincible just like, just like…

Wilhelm’s eyes widened, as for just a second, he saw someone else in Roswaal’s place.

An immensely attractive woman with flowing indigo hair and heterochromatic eyes smirked at him flirtatiously, her purple top and white dress pants looking completely unfit for combat. Her arms rippled with lean, but powerful muscles that could tear a head off a demon beast, while her signature black gloves sat comfortably on her hands. A red-and-black cape flowed behind her as her fist raised in preparation to pummel him into the ground.

Only for that fist to come flying towards his face, bringing him back to reality. 

He didn’t have time to block it, even at top speed, it was too close to stop. The blow was easily more than enough to kill him, he didn’t stand a chance.

Wilhelm closed his eyes, his life flashing through his mind.

He really had been such a pathetic man, and it seemed like he was going to be one even in death.

His final thought was how he wished he could've seen Sir Subaru, Heinkel, and Reinhard one last time-

A small yet sharp pain burst from his nose, causing the old man to yelp in an uncharacteristically comical way. He reached up and grabbed it, wincing as he stared at the smiling margrave who had just flicked him.

“You really are so hopelessly honorable, Sir Wilhelm.”

The Sword Demon sputtered as Roswaal laughed boisterously.

“W-what?!”

The clown’s cackles grew louder at his confusion.

“Did you se~riously think I was going to kill you?! Do you have any idea how ba~d of an idea it would be to do so here of all place?! Hell, I ne~ver even implied I would!”

Wilhelm opened his mouth to retort, only to suddenly close it.

…….why did he think that the margrave was going to kill him?

Roswaal punched him in the shoulder playfully, the Sword Demon still processing everything that just happened.

“I apologize and take back what I sa~id before. I was just trying to ri~le you up.”

Wilhelm, befuddled, continued to stare at the man who had just seemingly shifted personalities in less than a second.

“Why?!”

The margrave answered him without a trace of guilt in his voice.

“So you no longer had a reason to feel gui~lty, of course! Since I’m a devious, e~vil person, I thought I would make sure you would fight for real! I find that people like you tend to feel less gui~lt when the person they have regrets over gives them some punishment! Am I wrong?”

Wilhelm was dead-silent for a moment before he burst out laughing at the absurdity of this situation. Despite feeling a bit humiliated, it was hard to admit that he felt a bit less bad after getting the shit beaten out of him. It felt like a debt of some kind he owed Roswaal had just been paid.

Roswaal's face grew slightly softer shoulders carelessly at his reaction, his face relaxed yet thoughtful.

“I am curious as to why you would react so vi~scerally at me insulting my own grandmother though. I really didn't know much about her. Father di~dn’t mention her much, so I’d like to hear you~r thoughts.”

…..how did this conversation get here?

Wilhelm considered his word carefully for a moment.

“She was the second-bravest woman I ever met. She cared immensely about the people around her and would’ve given her life for them at the drop of a coin. Powerful, brave, intelligent, attractive…”

The Sword Demon let out a small chuckle.

“If my heart didn’t already belong to Theresia, who knows? There’s a good chance I could’ve been your grandfather.”

The clown snorted.

“As if!”

Wilhelm let out another tiny bit of laughter.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m an awful grandfather. Besides, she was annoying, condescending, flirty, and a massive pain in my ass.”

The Sword Demon’s smile suddenly turned remorseful.

“Despite that, she was one of the closest friends I ever had. It’s my fault that I wasn’t there to help her-”

Roswaal, for the third time, flicked him in the nose, once again snapping him out of his daze.

“Stop ta~lking like that! I, uh- My grandmother chose to put her life on the line to save the people she ca~red about, and I’m sure she wouldn’t have had it any other way! Do you think she would want you to sit here la~menting everything?! Do I need to break a few more bo~nes to let the message sink in?!”

Wilhelm's smile lost the depressive edge.

“No, I don’t suppose so.”

Roswaal, seemingly satisfied with his reaction, backed away. His eyes shined with a devious gleam.

“Good.”

As Wilhelm looked into his godson’s eyes, a thought occurred to him.

“You know, there was one other thing about Julia I always found notable.”

Roswaal's self-assured grin remained on his face as he leaned against a nearby tree.

“Oh, and what would that be?”

Wilhelm considered his next words carefully.

“She always thought that she was evil and inhuman, even constantly referring to herself as such. Despite what she said though, at the end of the day...I think she was a lot kinder and more human than she believed herself to be.”

The margrave’s grin twitched for the tiniest of moments.

“Interesting-”

Wilhelm wasn’t finished, however.

“Even though our interactions have been brief, I think the same may be true for you.”

For the first time, Roswaal actually looked quite shocked. His mouth was frozen mid-sentence, and his eyes were notably wide. He was utterly speechless for a second, before he suddenly turned away from Wilhelm, refusing to look him in the eye.

The silence was palpable, Wilhelm afraid for a moment that his godson would simply leave. Before too long though, the margrave finally responded in a quiet voice.

“You can believe what you want to believe.”

The two men stood in silence for a moment, before Roswaal spoke up once more.

“For the re~cord, I’m sure you would make a great grandfather if you tried. While I’ve only talked to him a few times, Reinhard nee~ds you more than I ever did. I would recomme~nd you start off by trying to fix things with him.”

As the Sword Demon moved to speak up, surprised at the margrave pulling that out of nowhere, a loud voice screeched from behind him.

“WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE?!”

Wilhelm turned around just in time to see his Lady Crusch, Sir Felix, Sir Subaru, Lady Ram, and Lady Beatrice turning the corner, anger clear on his lady’s face.

Any joy the Sword Demon felt at seeing Sir Subaru was immediately crushed upon seeing Lady Crusch so angry. The old man stuttered, trying to find the words to explain himself.

“Um, I- uh…”

The next twenty minutes were a blur of getting scolded by Lady Crusch, getting his fractured ribs repaired by Felix, explaining the situation, and promising to pay for the damages with his own money.

Lady Crusch sighed as she shook her head.

“Honestly, what are we going to do with you, Wilhelm?”

Before Wilhelm could respond to Lady Crusch though, she turned around and stormed off angrily, mumbling something about carpenters. Felix, after giving him one more nasty glare, hurried off after her.

Roswaal stood off to the side silently, having simply watched for the past 20 minutes with a devilish grin on his face. Lady Ram checked him all over injuries, attempting to scold him unsuccessfully as Sir Subaru and Lady Beatrice talked about nothing absent-mindedly, the two simply waiting for the Roswaal's scolding to stop.

“Maybe you should’ve been a bit more ca~reful.”

The Sword Demon was completely silent, simply staring off after his Lady as she walked away in a hurry.

He made a mental note to never fight near the mansion again.

  
With a sigh, he turned around, his attention immediately turning to Subaru. The young teen paused mid-sentence to look at him, the Great Spirit in his lap shifting her gaze to Wilhelm as well.

“I guess even someone like you sometimes forgets their own strength, eh Wilhelm?”

The Sword Demon smiled at the teasing words, happy to interact with Sir Subaru again after not seeing him for so long.

“Perhaps in my old age, I still have much to learn…..or maybe I’m just growing senile, it’s hard to tell sometimes.”

Lady Beatrice huffed in Subaru’s lap.

“Betty thinks both you and Roswaal are idiots, I suppose.”

Wilhelm chuckled.

“Perhaps….”

Lady Ram suddenly interjected, seemingly done talking with Roswaal.

“Do not lump in Lord Roswaal with someone who would perform something so idiotic. Instead, turn your insults towards Barasu. He's far more deserving of such negativity.”

Subaru let out a noise of faux chagrin.

“Eh, what did I do?”

Ram gave him a deadpan look.

“Do you want a chronological or alphabetical list?”

Wilhelm butted in before Subaru could respond.

“If I may interrupt Lady Ram, I must say that I believe you’re exaggerating. Any grievance you have with Sir Subaru could be sorted out rather easily if you two just talked.”

A small teasing smirk formed on the Sword Demon's face.

“Besides, why would I do such a thing when I want to know a little bit more about how Sir Subaru’s relationship with Lady Emilia is going?”

A cocky smirk formed on the young teen’s face.

“I’ll have you know that it’s going splendidly! Emilia and I are hitting it off like a pair of lovebirds!”

Lady Beatrice snorted.

“Coming from the man who had to explain to her what a relationship was. You truly are arrogant, I suppose.”

Lady Ram sneered with faux malice.

“Barasu’s flirtatious nature is only overpowered by his lack of an ability to handle literally any reciprocation. He blushes as red as an appa every time they so much as hold hands.”

Wilhelm raised an eyebrow at Subaru, the latter’s face blushing a deep red.

“But there has been progress at least?”

Subaru’s face grew redder.

“I managed to tell her how I felt at least...but she didn’t fully understand what I meant. I’m giving her time to figure out for herself what she wants.”

The Sword Demon suddenly laid his hand on Subaru’s shoulder, his face deathly serious.

“Do not worry, you and Lady Emilia may not be ready for a relationship yet, but I will teach you everything that I know on how to maintain one. I swear on the name Wilhelm Van Astraea!”

Subaru bowed his head, making Beatrice yelp out as his chin smacked into the top of her head.

“Teach me, oh great Wilhelm!”

Beatrice then proceeded to sock Subaru in the face, her other hand rubbing where his chin had just smashed into her skull. Of course, the Great Spirit being as small and physically weak as she was, achieved nothing other than causing the teen to laugh heartily.

As four of his five favorite people in the world played around and chatted, happy just to be in the company of each other, Roswaal felt his eyes soften.

It was.…...nice. Nice just to stand here and watch as the people he cared about had fun together. Nice to feel the humanity he thought he had abandoned long ago swell up in him. Nice to let the accursed emotions that he tried so hard to discard overwhelm him. Nice to avoid having to push everything in him down and avoid allowing himself to smile genuinely, refusing to feel joy just at being in the company of such wonderful people.

A small chuckle escaped his lips as he watched Subaru pull at Beatrice’s drills, upsetting the tiny spirit and making her pout adorably in displeasure. Wilhelm and Ram laughed at the scene each of them poking fun at the other two as Beatrice and Subaru bickered like the siblings they practically were.

Yes, this truly was a present he could enjoy, if even for just a second.

As the four of them let out more cackles again at some stupid joke, a genuine, yet sorrowful smile crossed Roswaal’s face.

He hoped that they would still be able to have such fun together after he died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who did not know, the author confirmed in a Q&A that Roswaal intends to let himself die after completing his still yet unknown goal. It's why he has no regard for his own life in any timeline that Ram dies in, as she seems to be part of his plan in some shape or form, and without her and his goal, he has zero reason to live. 
> 
> For those who don't know what I'm referencing that Felix tried to do to Subaru....you remember that one weird scene where they showed Subaru's treatment with Felix on his back and Rem shoving Subaru's face into her chest? Yeah, uh, that was a lot less comedic in the novels. Felix straight up tried to brainwash Subaru, and Rem was basically doing her best to stop Felix. Afterwards, he grudgingly started work on Subaru's gate.
> 
> Did I mention that novel Felix is kind of an asshole? 
> 
> Roswaal > Wilhelm in terms of power, but Wilhelm would normally be stronger at close range by an existing margin. Here though, not only did Roswaal possess Julia's gloves, Wilhelm was also not trying as hard as he reasonably could have. Even if he only realized it on a subconscious level, I doubt Wilhelm would try to kill a potential ally unless they were a traitor.
> 
> Ok, I think I've taken a break long enough. I'm going to go finish another chapter of MNIS & A Deadman's Party. When I come back to this, I think I'm going to write something a bit....lighter and fluffier in tone. How does Wilhelm adopting Subaru as his grandson followed by Subaru and Reinhard bonding as adopted siblings sound?

**Author's Note:**

> It's always been my headcanon that one of the Isekai'd people brought over sign language, or at least the idea of it. If it does exist in the Re: Zero world, it makes sense for Grimm to know it due to his inability to speak in anything more than barely understandable raspy voices. Reinhard is Reinhard, so I think I don't have to explain how he learned it at such a young age.
> 
> That's it for now. This will update as I think up ideas and work up the motivation to write them. If you enjoyed this story, please check out my other Re: Zero fic, "A Dead Man's Party".
> 
> I'd appreciate Comments or Feedback if you guys have any! I hope you all enjoyed and wish you all a nice day!


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